Three key matchups and players to keep close tabs on in this weekend's USHL play
With just two weeks left in the regular season, the USHL playoff race is intensifying. Several teams have already clinched.
Dubuque, Green Bay, Muskegon, Youngstown, and Madison will represent the Eastern Conference. Fargo, Sioux, Waterloo, and Tri-City will represent the Western Conference. For those clubs, now it is just a matter of seeding.
Dubuque has already clinched the No. 1 seed, securing a first-round bye as well.
Let's look at three key matchups and players to keep close tabs on in this weekend's slate of USHL games.
NTDP U18s Vs. Muskegon
The NTDP U18 squad and Muskegon Lumberjacks will get together for a two-game home-and-home series.
While the NTDP U17 squad is only eligible for the Clark Cup Playoffs -- and has been eliminated from postseason contention -- the U18s will look to fine-tune their game before the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship. The annual tournament will take place in Finland, beginning at the end of April.
Cole Eiserman (2024) is closing in on history. The Boston University commit has 48 goals and 73 points in 47 NTDP games this season. Eiserman needs ten goals to surpass Cole Caufield's program record of 126 goals scored, previously set in 2019.
The former has two USHL games remaining before the U18 World Championship at the end of the month, with any and all goals scored counting toward the total.
On the other side, Muskegon sits percentage points in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Jacks have won five straight, seven of their last ten games, and have gone 5-1-0-0 in six previous meetings against the NTDP (U17 and U18) this season.
Matvei Gridin (2024) will look to stay red-hot. The University of Michigan commit leads the USHL in points (77) and carries a five-game point streak into this weekend.
During that stretch, Gridin has accumulated six goals and nine points. He has been one of the hottest players in the second half of the season, racking up 21 goals and 47 points in 30 games.
Added, he has only gone six games without a point during that run.
Dubuque Vs. Chicago
With the No. 1 seed and a bye already locked up, Dubuque will look to keep firing on all cylinders.
The Fighting Saints have scored at least five goals in five of their last eight games in what has been a microcosm of their season. Dubuque has scored the most goals (256) in the Eastern Conference while averaging 4.41 goals per game.
Noah Powell has emerged as an offensive dynamo in his second USHL season. The Ohio State commit is our player to watch for Dubuque. Powell recently saw his seven-game goal streak end.
However, he will look to score his 40th goal of the season, becoming the first player in franchise history to achieve the feat.
The Saints have a two-game home-and-home series against the Chicago Steel, who admittedly have a lot more to play for this weekend.
Chicago currently occupies the sixth, and final, playoff spot with a 26-25-3-4 record (59 points). The Steel are six points ahead of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders with four games remaining.
Mike Garman's club has yet to secure a win against Dubuque, going 0-1-1-0 in two previous meetings.
Michael Hage (2024) is THN's player to watch on Chicago. The University of Michigan commit racked up nine goals and 25 points in 12 games and had points in all but one game last month.
Hage has two goals and three points against Dubuque this season. The 18-year-old will look to keep that going as the calendar flips to April.
Chicago's magic number to clinch a playoff berth is down to three.
Sioux Falls Vs. Tri-City
The Herd have a difficult three-in-three weekend ahead of them. Up first is a two-game road series against the Tri-City Storm.
Sioux Falls currently occupies fifth place in the Western Conference, six points behind Tri-City and three points ahead of the Lincoln Stars and Des Moines, who both have 55 points with four games remaining.
The Stampede's magic number is now six, with five games left on their schedule.
Sioux Falls has played Tri-City well this season, collecting points in three of five previous meetings. However, the Herd dropped their only visit to the Viaero Center by a 4-1 score.
J.J. Wiebusch is our player to watch. The Penn State commit has enjoyed an impressive season in Sioux Falls, leading the team in goals (27) and points (60). Wiebusch has gone his last two games without finding the scoresheet, but he had points in six of seven games prior to that.
Look for him to get going again.
On the other side, Tri-City clinched their ticket to the postseason last weekend in a shootout loss to Lincoln.
The Storm will look to put some distance between themselves and Sioux Falls while simultaneously moving closer to overtaking Waterloo for third place.
Trevor Connelly (2024) is understandably THN's player to watch this weekend. The Providence College commit has the third-most points (70) in the USHL this season.
Similar to the second half of last season, Connelly has been a point-producing machine. He has racked up 19 goals and 44 points in 30 games since the holiday break.
Added, Connelly has only gone four games without recording a point in the second half.
